Campaign Director

Freedom for Öcalan Campaign Director

Applications are invited for the above post to lead this trade union based campaign for the freedom of Kurdish leader, Abdullah Öcalan. The Director will develop and build support within the trade union movement and wider community for the campaign. The successful candidate will be an excellent organiser, communicator and lobbyist. Skills in IT and websites are necessary.

The post is temporary for 6 months initially. The post could be extended depending on further funding.

Salary and hours: £15 per hour for 24 hours per week to be worked flexibly

Location: Based in Central London but required to travel. Consideration can be given for being located elsewhere but London would be a necessary focus for work.

Line Manager: Chair of the Freedom for Öcalan Campaign and under the guidance of the Campaign Committee

Reporting to: The Campaign Committee

Location/Place of Work: Unite the union, Holborn, London

Working with: The Campaign Steering Committee and affiliated member organisations.

Main Responsibilities:

To create maximum awareness and support for the Freedom for Öcalan Campaign within the trade union movement and the wider public.

To coordinate the agreed strategy and events of the campaign and propose campaigning ideas.

To create a strong presence for the campaign within the trade union movement, social and mainstream media, and online media, including updating the campaign website and being the voice of the campaign in the media and national events.

To organise major national events around the campaign in 2019.

To liaise with the international campaigns and the Kurdish Communities in Britain where appropriate to help mobilise and support the campaign and its activities.

To assist the campaign committee in managing its business and pursuing its objectives.

To fund raise for the campaign.

Person Specification:

Essential

A deep commitment to the purpose of this campaign.

An excellent knowledge of the background to, unfairness and conditions of Abdullah Ocalan’s imprisonment.

A successful track record in political campaigning within the trade union movement or comparable sector.

Excellent written and oral presentational skills.

A successful track record of communications including all aspects of the social and mainstream media.

Good database management and ICT skills.

Excellent time management and planning and delivery skills.

A good understanding of the political advantages for the whole region of Öcalan and of his writings.

Successful record of events and public meeting management.

Desirable.

Knowledge of the trade union and political contexts of Scotland, England and Wales.

Knowledge of the international campaigns relating to Kurdistan and Öcalan.

Knowledge of the Kurdish communities in Britain.

Good contacts within the political, media and entertainments worlds.

Design and CRM management skills.

Background to the post

The Freedom for Öcalan Campaign focuses on winning wide support within the trade union movement for the global campaign to release Abdullah Öcalan from prison where he has been since 1979. It is the policy of the TUC to support this campaign which was constituted in 2017.

Activity, awareness raising and support will need to be on the scale of the Free Nelson Mandela Campaign or the Free the Miami Five Campaign.

The campaign had a successful parliamentary launch, successful fringe meetings at the last two TUCs and Labour Party Conference, and has worked both with the Kurdish Communities in Britain and with the international campaigns.

The campaign invites trade union affiliations and supporters. It has a small steering committee which includes international officers of three national unions.

A bank account is open in the name of the campaign and a website established. Excellent progress has been made in gaining the support of national unions and local and regional branches. A national speaking tour to promote the campaign is underway.

The campaign has a Treasurer who will continue to manage the finances of the campaign and one union provides the secretariat for the Campaign steering group meetings.

The campaign organised a highly successful cultural and political festival in July 2017. Several HDP MPs have been invited to campaign events and members of the campaign have visited various Kurdish regions and reported on the oppression of various Kurdish politicians, trade unionists and activists.

The campaign aspires to having a major influence on the release of Öcalan and will develop activities towards a major national event in 2019.

A dynamic, creative, organised and committed campaigner is needed for this vitally important post.